Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?

Lately I've been hearing more and more about BBTD, Baby Bottle Tooth Decay. I have two sons (and a daughter on the way!) age 2 years and 14 months, both of which are off the bottle. It seems crazy that a parent would let something like BBTD happen! Here is a page with more information on it: http://www.dr-v.org/facts/BBTD.htm





I may be alone on this, but I think it ought to be considered abuse if a parent allows their infant's teeth to decay as much as in those pictures. The parents ought to be ashamed of themselves and SEE IT HAPPENING and then take them to the dentist! They also need to brush their child's teeth for them and not give a bottle or breastfeeding before bed. If a bottle is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY they should only fill it with water.


Does anyone else think that letting a kid's teeth get this bad because of the bottle should be considered abusive (or maybe better categorized as neglect)?

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
Those pictures are abuse! But let me say with my first daughter I let her drink juice out of her bottle I didn't know any better, which I regret becuz she had tooth decay nothing near or like those pictures (thank god). But she did have some work done, if u looked at her teeth u couldn't see anything but u could with xrays. But she is all better and I haven't done this with my 2nd toddler or my 3rd baby and won't! I think mothers need to be more educated on BBTD. I wasn't and I can admit I made a mistake and learned from it.
Reply:I think that its wrong when I see a child over 15 months drinking from a bottle.. I think every parent should at least try to get their baby off the bottle by a 1 yo but in some cases where there are certain health or other reasons then thats their business and I dont frown upon it..


But whats even worse is when I see a child over 3 drinking from a sippy cup.. I know a woman that still has her 4 and almost 6 year olds still drink from sippy cups just because she doesnt want to go thru them spilling.. Hello, thats how they learn to drink from a cup.. Some parents have just become lazy.. They think its easier to just let them go to sleep with a bottle or sippy cup, so when they wake up they dont bother them for a drink... SAD..
Reply:all babies should be off the bottle by 12 months, however i believe it is ok to give them a bottle or nurse them before bed!!! As long as you brush their teeth 2 times a day and don't put them in their crib with a bottle.
Reply:I don't think it is so much neglect since the child's needs are being met, howbeit haphazardly. I don't think it's abuse but rather a lack of knowledge and education to parents of little ones.
Reply:I use to think of it as neglect but I know that some people have very weak tooth enamel and are very prone to decay. I'm not so quick to judge.





My family is the opposite with very strong tooth enamel. I have family members who have been neglectful with their teeth but still never had a cavity in their life. Other people work hard on their teeth just so they could have no cavities at their next dental appointment.





I remember reading about a breastfed 15 month old who hadn't even been on solids that long but already had tooth decay.





ETA for your additional detail: I'm not sure about the excruciating pain while eating that you mentioned. I once knew a family of 4 young kids who had a lot of tooth decay. The 3 year old's teeth looked horrible but he ate and drank fine. I remember because I wondered if his very rotten teeth hurt when he ate at a birthday party. They didn't appear to. He ate a hot dog and later cake along with the other kids at the party. His 4 front teeth were almost completely rotted away.





I was overseas in the military at the time. Military families can get free dental care. The mother of these kids kept putting off sending her kids to the dentist because she knew she would be scolded for it. I'm not sure if that kid even saw a dentist. I left for the "States" soon afterward.
Reply:Sorry - I have to disagree with you. The baby will lose those teeth anyway - who wants a discontented baby when they can be so happy with their bottle? It's not 24/7 anyway. It would be more abusive I think,to take it away from them. Abusive on the mother too - We've all lived through it and didn't harm us. What's the alternative? Someone to stay home and feed the child somehow every time it needs a bottle (alternative). If you want to join a league of decency, check out real abuse and you won't think twice about this. People go on these crusades, but don't offer a solution or a better method. Forget about it!
Reply:FIRST OF ALL ITS NOT JUST BC THEY ARE ON A BOTTLE!!!!!! We do give her water when she goes to bed and she still got this.This can happen with a child that has his or her teeth brushed four times a day. MY daughter has this and we BRUSH HER TEETH ALL THE TIME!!!!! So, dont sit here and judge me and say its CHILD ABUSE BC OF HER TEETH!!!!!!!! Kids can get bad theeth from the genes. My daughter is not ABUSED OR NEGLECTED bc of her teeth. Let me ask y ou this, do you do certain things that I may think is abuse? Should we tell you that what you have done to your kid its abuse??? Maybe I should tell you bc you let your kids fall down that you abused them, ever thought about that???? Oh wiat better yet here is one for you, have you gone somewhere to eat and people are smoking and you smell the smoke?? Guess what, how dare you sit there and let your kids smell that smoke!!!! That is abuse. Should I go on and let you sound how stuipd you sound? There are so many other things out there that you need to be worried about then BBTD!!!!





Go and find the kids that are being abused each day bc they pee there pants. Or the kids that get beat bc they say something wrong to a step parent.





SO before you judge someone maybe you need to rethink how you word things on here. BBTD doenst mean the child at 18 monhts is still on a bottle!!!!!!!!! Why dont you ask before you start saying oh this is abuse and negltect!!!!!!!!!!!!!





Sorry but I am not going to let some stranger tell me that I am abusing my child bc she some teeth problem. My child is in a great loving home and has everything she could want. SO DONT TELL ME THAT MY CHILD IS ABUSED BC OF HER TEETH!!!!





I dont care how many thumbs down I get but NOONE will tell my child is ABUSED bc she has some teeth problems. I do strongly believe that there more other problems out there then being so judgemental about someone kids teeth. This lady needs to go and find the kids that are being abused from the parents. AND BY THE WAY MY DAUGHTER IS IN NO PAIN!!!!! She eats all the time and gets her teeth brushed all the time. So please lady, go and find the kids that really n eed help from the sickos out in the world.
Reply:http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/to...








http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/a...








http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bheal...





http://www.medindia.com/news/No-Link-Bet...








http://www.reuters.com/article/smartThin...








Do your research. The link between breastfeeding and tooth decay is minimal at best. And don't be so judgemental, some kids just have bad teeth in the genes.



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